


A Date with Misfortune

by Siver



Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, 英雄伝説VI 空の軌跡 | Sora no Kiseki | The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (Video Games)
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Ghost Swap 2019, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22123864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: A date gone wrong on Valleria Lakeshore. (no spoilers for Trails series)
Relationships: Alma/Cabanela/Jowd (Ghost Trick)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	A Date with Misfortune

**Author's Note:**

  * For [azurefishnets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/azurefishnets/gifts).



> A Ghost Swap treat for [azurefishnets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/azurefishnets)! A merging of two prompts: A date gone wrong in every way and a crossover with Trails series. Considering Zemuria, their date could've gone sooo much worse.

It was a sorely needed vacation and time away that took them to and around Liberl, currently winding up at Valleria Lakeshore for a couple days before returning to Bose. Where there had been four there were now three as there was no tearing Kamila away from Zeiss once she fell under Professor Russell's and Tita's wing. Alma wondered if they'd be able to get her to come back to Crossbell with them either. Of course Cidgeon awaited and could prove a convincing force. Maybe.

Alma shook herself. Kamila was old enough and had been through enough to make such decisions herself and the Russells would see her well-looked after. She couldn't deny the joy of spending personal time alone with Jowd and Cabanela either. Their first day on the shore had been a pleasant experience both together and apart. After meeting with Lloyd of the Fisherman’s Guild Alma spent some time fishing. Jowd had declined her offer to join her, opting to paint instead and Cabanela had rather more emphatically refused with look alone before disappearing into the King Fisher Inn to chat with anyone who would have him. Now they were on their last day about to embark across the lake. Clouds dotted the sky and the sun shone warming the docks.

"Comin' baby?" Cabanela's voice broke through her thoughts and she realized he and Jowd had both already taken their places in the waiting boat.

"Is something wrong?" Jowd followed up.

Alma shook her head. "No, no quite the opposite,” she said with a smile as she joined them on the boat.

She gave a contented sigh as they sailed across the lake. It felt like a lifetime ago they had last been able to spend so much time together like this without danger around every corner. This trip couldn’t last; their duties would beckon soon enough, but for now Bose and a last few days in Grancel before their departure back to Crossbell waited.

They drifted in the centre of the lake, basking in the sun’s warmth and the cooler breeze. Jowd’s hand covered her own. Cabanela leaned back, hands behind his head and stared up at the sky.

“This really is a beautiful place,” Alma said.

“Reminds me of Lake Lacrima,” Cabanela mused. “Though bigger.”

Alma stared at him in surprise. It was rare he talked about Nord. As far as she knew he held little against it, but when there were so many cities to hold his attentions, it was clear where his heart lay.

“You still owe us a visit,” Jowd commented.

“One day, baby. It’s a beautiful place but not a lot to do unless you liiike horses and sheep.”

“They’re not so bad,” said Jowd the former farmhand.

They fell quiet simply basking in one another’s company and the peaceful sway of the boat. Cabanela broke their silence first, sitting up straight and humming a familiar tune. Then he broke into the words, his eyes shining with warmth as he gazed at them.

I swear...  
I wanna steer my way  
With these wings, I can fly anywhere  
We'll be there...  
This here right now is not the end  
I promise we’ll meet again...

Alma leaned against Jowd’s shoulder. They had all met again; they had and despite everything they made it together through it all time after time. The disaster that parted them for five years was a distant memory to never be repeated.

I swear  
No matter how far apart we are  
Just follow your…

Cabanela stiffened and his hand flew into his coat. Too late. Water erupted around them. Before Alma or Jowd could react a tentacle wrapped around Cabanela’s chest and yanked him over the edge.

A mute shock overtook them before Alma cried out. “Cabanela!”

“I’ve got him,” Jowd barked and dove into the water after him.

Alma cursed and whipped out her sword safely stowed under the seats. She brought it up just in time as another tentacle lashed out and fell in two pieces back into the water at the edge of her blade. The boat rocked precariously and Alma struggled to keep the balance of herself, her sword and boat. The last thing they needed was to capsize in the middle of all this.

Two more tentacles erupted from the water pincering the boat. She reached for her orbment’s power. If she could pull off the right art in time to take care of both… It was unnecessary. Shards of metals shot out from the water slicing through one of the tentacles. Relief flooded her; she knew the segments and the pattern they followed.

Cabanela was still conscious down there, and more importantly, alive. Alma spun round sword lashing out as the other tentacle whipped toward her. Her first blow only grazed it, but her second felled it as well.

The water rippled. Alma just barely bit back her prepared art in time as Jowd surfaced with one arm around Cabanela’s waist. The shards flew back to Cabanela, reforming into his sword. 

“It looks dead,” Jowd said gruffly.

He helped Cabanela back to the boat. Together with Alma's help and some careful manoeuvering Cabanela clambered back in and knelt, wheezing and dripping with water and slime.

“I’m going to make sure,” Jowd said and disappeared back under the water before Alma could protest. With a sigh she turned her attention to the coughing Cabanela.

“Are you all right?”

He nodded with a final cough and rocked back to sit. “Just peaaachy.”

It grew darker. Alma glanced up to see a cloud passing over the sun, and worse several more clouds were building. Rain would be just what they needed now.

Jowd resurfaced. “It’s dead,” he confirmed while he pulled himself back into the boat.

“Whatever it was,” Cabanela said with a dark look at the water.

“Lloyd said there have been occasional sightings of odd creatures,” Alma said, "ever since the incident a few years ago. But nothing to this scale.”

“Aren’t we lucky?” Jowd said. “Well, you got the swim you wanted,” he added to Cabanela.

Cabanela’s lip curled in disgust as he gingerly peeled away some of the slime clinging to his sleeve. “Not exaaactly what I had in mind, baby.”

Jowd shrugged. “It wasn’t so bad.”

Cabanela stared at him and very pointedly, in Alma’s opinion, brushed away more slime.

“For now, getting warm and dry with a hot meal is in order I think,” Alma said. A cold stinging drop hit her face and then another. She frowned up at the sky as the rain began to fall in earnest.

And then it poured.

By the time they returned to the dock as fast as the boat and their decreasing visibility safely allowed, Alma was soaked, but felt dry in comparison to the other two. Cabanela sat, shivering in an expanding puddle of water and slime—Jowd’s comment that the rain might help wash away the slime at least fell flat. Cabanela looked thoroughly bedraggled as more water and slime streamed and dripped down his clothing. Jowd was drenched, hair falling thickly into his eyes while he sat with shoulders hunched and arms folded across his chest. The inn never looked more inviting.

At the counter Sophina’s mouth dropped open at the sight of them as they entered. She scurried around the counter to come meet them.

“What happened?” she gasped. “You didn’t capsize, did you? Are you all right? Do you need medical attention?”

Jowd held up a steadying hand and his voice took on the notes of the calm authority of the Crossbell police detective. “We’re unharmed. The boat could use a clean but is otherwise undamaged. There was a monster, something like a giant squid or a roper. We’ve taken care of it.”

Sophina gaped again. “A monster? I’m so terribly sorry. We have a bracer do an inspection now and then and nothing was found last time. We pride ourselves on safety here and,” she babbled.

“It’s all right,” Jowd cut in. “Things got a bit messy as you can see, but we’re fine. We’re all experienced.”

“Nothing a little cleanup and a warm meal can’t fix,” Alma added gently. She’d meant to only reassure the woman, but her face fell and her hands twisted.

“Ah… I’m afraid that may not be possible tonight.”

“Is something wrong?”

Sophina cast a look back toward the kitchen. Alma followed her gaze to see Lenard bent over the stove before he committed the last resort known to all owners of appliances. He smacked it.

Sophina sighed. “Our orbal stove is malfunctioning. We’ve called Lucir, but of course no one will be able to make it here until tomorrow. But we can make some fine salads, and sandwiches,” she tried to rally.

“That sounds peeerfectly fine, baby,” Cabanela said.

Alma smiled. He seemed determined not to let anything get him down today despite the sodden hair falling around his face from its normal careful styling or the patches of slime still clinging stubbornly to his coat.

“Well, we can get ourselves cleaned up at any rate,” Alma said.

“I’m terribly sorry about this,” Sophina said. “Please if there’s anything we can do for you let us know.”

It took some time to get dried off and changed, mostly on Cabanela’s front, and it ended with a despairing look at his coat laid out. Alma gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. “We’ll get that properly cleaned.”

“At least it’s only slime this time,” Jowd laughed.

Cabanela scowled at that and Alma could only assume he was remembering another time, the only other time she knew of that his coat, normally ever immaculate—almost supernaturally so, she sometimes thought—suffered greatly. The Creepy Sheep learned their lesson that day.

Dinner was waiting for them when they returned downstairs. On another day Alma might have to admit the salads were not so fine as Sophina’s anxious promises and the sandwiches were hardly memorable, but even this cold fare was welcome for a starving stomach.

Cabanela leaned back in his seat. “Not quiiite how the day was supposed to go,” he said cheerfully. “But we’ve got Bose and a fine meal at the Anterose tomorrow. If it’s even nearly as good as everyone says we should be in for a reaaal treat.”

Alma nodded, stifling a yawn. Jowd looked less impressed with the prospect of fine dining, but he would just have to deal. If they left early enough they would arrive in Bose with ample time to relax and do other things as well. A sound plan for the morning. The evening was for rest and enjoying the warmth.

The Anterose was not to be.

They woke to sunlight streaming through the window, the night’s rain cleared away. Cabanela appeared to have already risen, no doubt eager to get moving, and Jowd and Alma soon followed.

It was quiet downstairs, the other guests clearly still in bed, except perhaps for Lloyd whom Alma would hold no surprise for if he was already out fishing. She hoped the lake held no other unpleasant surprises.

A chair had been pulled from the nearby table to the fireplace and Cabanela sat there. As Alma looked his way he gave a loud sneeze, his back arching with it. The following sniffle and cough were audible in the otherwise quiet inn.

“Huh,” Jowd said with some interest at this rare display and wandered over.

Alma’s lips pursed and she made her way to the counter. “Excuse me, would we able to book our room again for tonight?” He was so seldom ill but to be enough to show anything meant he was going to be down whether he liked it or not.

“Of course!” Sophina chirped. She cast a sympathetic look toward Cabanela. “He insisted he was fine, but he is looking rather peaky, isn’t he? Oh no, don’t,” she added with a shake of her head as Alma reached for her mira pouch. “I shudder to think what might have happened if some of our other guests came across that monster. We’re truly sorry this happened to you, but grateful you took care of it. The least we can do is offer you a room while Mr. Cabanela recovers.”

“That’s very kind, thank you.”

And now to turn her attention to ‘Mr. Cabanela’ who was frowning up at Jowd, presumably at something said by the sound of Jowd’s laugh.

Cabanela’s frown turned to a smile at Alma’s approach. Alma’s frown only deepened at the sight of his flushed face and reddened eyes.

“Theeere you are, baby!”

“You look like something Gehenna spat up,” Alma said bluntly. All right, that wasn’t entirely fair. In a lot of ways he looked worse yesterday after their fight, but if it took exaggeration to cut through the protesting hand he was already trying to wave so be it. He had it coming.

“A little cold like thiiis is nothin’.”

Alma pressed a hand to his face. More warm than she’d give the fire credit for and more damning-ly clammy.

“And that’s just a little fever, is it? You’re not walking 200 selge like this,” she said firmly. “You could have drowned yesterday.”

“And been a fine meal yourself,” Jowd added wryly.

“You need rest.”

“I can handle the distance baby,” Cabanela shot back. “A leisurely paaace, a nice picnic lunch, nothing like it.”

“No.” She took his arm and hauled him up. He staggered, caught his balance by clinging to her and his eyes squeezed shut. “Dizzy?” Alma asked sweetly. He grimaced. “Have you eaten anything yet?”

He attempted a winning smile that was spoiled by his nose wrinkling against another sneeze. It was almost adorable.

“Without youuu, baby?”

Almost. Stubborn fool. And Jowd simply stood by looking amused.

“Jowd, can you bring a plate up? Come on,” she then directed at Cabanela who was powerless to stop her.

It wasn’t as common an occurrence as it maybe ought to be for his habits, but it was hardly the first time she found herself herding him to bed. Squires and knights: supports for their partnered Dominion. Babysitters, more like, Alma thought with an inward snort as she chivied Cabanela up the stairs. A sudden memory surfaced of eyes full of sympathy and far too much understanding as Ries took a sip of her tea. Her experience had been all too clear as well. Yes, add keeping Dominions from doing stupid things to the list of duties as it seemed to be a common thread among them.

And what did that say about her, she sometimes wondered and the thought rose again as she watched Cabanela sink into the pillows with a sigh broken by a coughing fit. In part she originally stayed to repay the church for saving her life, but she remained for love.

She bit back a fond sigh—the last thing Cabanela needed to hear just now—he was being difficult enough as was.

Jowd entered then, bearing a tray laden with three plates. Two he set on the table and the third he brought to Cabanela.

“There,” Jowd said, "breakfast in bed. Can’t get fancier than that, can you?”

“Nice tryyy, but I’ll take the kind thought. S’almost a miracle.”

“Worthy praise from a man of the church.”

“Losin’ points fast, baby.”

Jowd chuckled and joined Alma at the table. Lenard seemed determined to make up for the mediocre dinner and breakfast was a pleasant affair. Cabanela didn’t seem to share the opinion, or perhaps his stomach didn’t. Either way, when they finished he was still picking listlessly at his plate.

Alma went to his bedside. “Try to get something down,” she said gently and kissed his head.

“Sorry for holdin’ us up.”

“I don’t think either of us mind. You might even be doing Jowd a favour.”

Cabanela’s mouth twitched. “He can’t put it off foreeever.”

“Certainly not. We can’t allow that.” Alma said lightly. “Get some rest. I’ll be back soon.”

With that she patted the blanket and returned to Jowd. “I want to take another look around the lake.”

He frowned. “You’re not intending to cross it again.”

“No, but I would like another word with Lloyd.” She gave him a kiss and murmured, “Look after him.”

Lloyd had little more to say on the matter and if anything almost seemed disappointed that the creature was gone and uncatchable until Alma sternly told him the only thing he would have been likely to catch was a trip to the creature’s stomach. She left him, shaking her head. She enjoyed fishing well enough from time to time, but those of the guild took it to an entirely different level.

Her circuit around the lake-shore made for a warm and enjoyable walk, with no signs of the previous day’s mishap. She could only hope it was an isolated occurrence and that would be that. It was a pity they couldn’t make the walk back to Bose in such fine weather, but there was always another day. They still had time to enjoy all their plans and one more day at the lake-shore was hardly a chore.

When Alma returned Jowd had taken his place on the bed as well. His chest and one arm were occupied by Cabanela, who thankfully appeared to be very much asleep while Jowd read. She gave the cover an amused glance: Carnelia. That was certainly a different reading experience these days.

She walked softly over to the pair to pull the blanket up and more securely over them, particularly Cabanela. She resisted the urge to run a hand through his hair; he was too light of a sleeper to risk it currently when he needed this rest so badly. A silent nod was exchanged with Jowd. Stay quiet. Don’t wake their partner when he was finally down.

The room was light and airy. Unexpected monsters aside, the lake-shore really was relaxing. Dinner looked likely to go better tonight once the engineer arrived. Cabanela would bounce back quickly, knowing him. She smiled at the pair. It was no bad thing to deviate from their original plans. Even if the circumstances weren’t ideal she was happy to simply be here with them.

**Author's Note:**

> Specific translation of _I Swear…_ taken from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQwDfnHFAvw> by [SirHamnet](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgVa3YCTEK7_CTDSF_1NLOA). It seems like the more accurate or at least better fitting English translation compared to others I found (and just a beautifully sung song). While it’s hard to beat _Aria de Mezzo Carraterre_ for fitting lyrics, there were still some great lyrics in there for them. (Even if most of them didn’t get out, sorry Cabs)


End file.
